Eddie Southgate
Member
I do . Mostly my paps Ruger but I have carried one of the new Ruger Flattop .44 Spl 5 1/2" in blue . Never worried about needing to reload with the old gun cause it never misses .
Single-Action REVOLVER Defense?
- Thread starter JayFramer
- Start date
You ain't Jerry
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Echo40
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Another thought that I'd like to add for the sake of the argument of using a SAA for Home Defense.
When you really think about it, is a Single Action Army all that different from a Pump Action Shotgun?
I mean, really...
So why is it that Pump Action Shotguns are still widely acknowledged as being a good choice for Home Defense, yet a Single Action Army isn't?
Granted that 12 Gauge is more powerful than say .45 Long Colt, especially due to the fact that a 12 Gauge Shotshell holds a much larger payload of ammo, but your standard 255gr .45LC still has a strong track record as a man-stopper. In fact, the .45LC was actually designed to be effective against horses as well as men, and at one point in the early 1900s when the US Army was having issues stopping the drugged out Moro Warriors in the Philippines with the standard issue .38 Long Colt revolver, the SAA was pulled out of retirement to help address the issue, and ultimately proved effective enough that the US Army dictated that they wanted their next standard issue sidearm chambered in a .45 calibur bullet, which ultimately resulted in the invention of the .45 ACP cartridge. So yeah, if it worked against the Moro Warriors, then it should be effective against your average crack-head as well.
Just food for thought.
When you really think about it, is a Single Action Army all that different from a Pump Action Shotgun?
I mean, really...
- Both are Single Action.
- Both typically hold between 5-8 rounds.
- Both can only reload 1 round at a time.
- Both designs date back to the late 1800s.
So why is it that Pump Action Shotguns are still widely acknowledged as being a good choice for Home Defense, yet a Single Action Army isn't?
Granted that 12 Gauge is more powerful than say .45 Long Colt, especially due to the fact that a 12 Gauge Shotshell holds a much larger payload of ammo, but your standard 255gr .45LC still has a strong track record as a man-stopper. In fact, the .45LC was actually designed to be effective against horses as well as men, and at one point in the early 1900s when the US Army was having issues stopping the drugged out Moro Warriors in the Philippines with the standard issue .38 Long Colt revolver, the SAA was pulled out of retirement to help address the issue, and ultimately proved effective enough that the US Army dictated that they wanted their next standard issue sidearm chambered in a .45 calibur bullet, which ultimately resulted in the invention of the .45 ACP cartridge. So yeah, if it worked against the Moro Warriors, then it should be effective against your average crack-head as well.
Just food for thought.
True.
I still want the best tool available for the job and that's still not a SA revolver
At the age of 14 or 15 I started carrying a Ruger Blackhawk 44 mag for bear just like a few generations of men before me. And I saw a few bear that were put down with them.
I wouldn’t carry one now because I’m not as proficient with one. But I don’t see a problem with it in the hands of one experienced. If a single action is good enough for four legged predators it’s surely good enough for two legged ones.
But of course if you’re not carrying a 10MM semi auto, I guess it’s because you’re not tacticool.
I wouldn’t carry one now because I’m not as proficient with one. But I don’t see a problem with it in the hands of one experienced. If a single action is good enough for four legged predators it’s surely good enough for two legged ones.
But of course if you’re not carrying a 10MM semi auto, I guess it’s because you’re not tacticool.
A handgun provides certain advantages in a home defense scenario that a long gun does not. There are trade-offs when compared with a rifle or shotgun, but many people think it is worth it, myself included. With a single-action revolver, you lose(or at least inhibit) many of the advantages of the handgun without gaining any of the advantages of the long gun.
Chino74
Member
If one is competent with a SAA it's fine for home defense or in the sticks, trail walking etc....at the 7-11 at 2 a.m. on a Sat night then there are probably better choices. I avoid high risk areas so in general whatever I carry is adequate.
Old TexMex
Member
In a word, no. However, I’m not going to say the man who’s practiced in the art of the single action couldn’t do better at self defense than the unpracticed, untrained with his glock 17 with his laser and flashlight attachments.
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Rastoff
US Veteran
None of us are Jerry. None of us will ever be Jerry. In fact, even Jerry is not the fastest when it comes to Cowboy Action Shooting. That's not the point.
The point is that a single action CAN be carried and used for self-defense. Is it the best choice? Who are we to say? If it's the gun an individual is most confident with, it's right for them.
Are hollow point bullets better than full metal jacket? Maybe, but that doesn't mean a FMJ is completely useless.
The point is that a single action CAN be carried and used for self-defense. Is it the best choice? Who are we to say? If it's the gun an individual is most confident with, it's right for them.
Are hollow point bullets better than full metal jacket? Maybe, but that doesn't mean a FMJ is completely useless.
First off, I am a revolver shooter.
Secondly, I shoot all my revolvers single action.
Why? Simple, I'm more accurate single action than double.
My main self defense gun is a Model 66, 2 1/2 inch, and yes, I can shot it
one handed. 6 rounds in 10-12 seconds.
Secondly, I shoot all my revolvers single action.
Why? Simple, I'm more accurate single action than double.
My main self defense gun is a Model 66, 2 1/2 inch, and yes, I can shot it
one handed. 6 rounds in 10-12 seconds.
Sistema1927
US Veteran
Not my regular routine, but from time to time I have been known to carry a short barrel Birdshead Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt. And to handicap me even more, when I do I carry it cross draw. 
spad124
Member
Agreed. If you’re proficient and, most of all, are comfortable with and confident in a SA revolver, then why not carry one? You’ll probably be more aware of your surroundings and likely to focus on tactics than someone who relies solely on 30 round magazines. Personally I don’t shoot SAs well so I stay with medium framed DA revolvers or steel framed semis, but I don’t begrudge anyone who prefers a SA revolver.
BigMuddy
Member
I would never carry a gun that I was not proficient with. I am proficient with my SA revolvers. So YES!
Dan
Dan
badge 851
US Veteran
I am a revolver shooter and carry two J frame 38's daily.
I love to shoot my pair of Ruger® Blackhawk®s, a 4⅝" and 6½" barrel in 41 Magnum. Any load from mild to wild is very accurate in both guns. The Blackhawk®s are with me when I'm in the woods. I feel that I am well defended for biped and quadrupeds.
If anyone wants to carry a SA revolver that's their business and I will not fault them.
I feel that I am well defended when I carry either of my Blackhawk®s.
I love to shoot my pair of Ruger® Blackhawk®s, a 4⅝" and 6½" barrel in 41 Magnum. Any load from mild to wild is very accurate in both guns. The Blackhawk®s are with me when I'm in the woods. I feel that I am well defended for biped and quadrupeds.
If anyone wants to carry a SA revolver that's their business and I will not fault them.
I feel that I am well defended when I carry either of my Blackhawk®s.
nachogrande
Member
BOB MUNDEN WOULD PROBLY AGREEE
"WITH PRACTICE' anything is better than nothing & might work well. IDK about pocket carry though. No matter how you cut it, it's a slow reload, if that matters to you. It's your decision,YOU TELL US.
"WITH PRACTICE' anything is better than nothing & might work well. IDK about pocket carry though.
No matter how you cut it, it's a slow reload, if that matters to you. It's your decision,YOU TELL US.nachogrande
Member
IT'S A REAL THING.
Ever try handgun hunting for deer? When a deer is app 30 yards or less they can easily hear & react to a hammer being cocked, & they react fast.
IF you cock it, you should shoot it quick. Hold the immature jokes, that's my job.
Ever try handgun hunting for deer? When a deer is app 30 yards or less they can easily hear & react to a hammer being cocked, & they react fast.
IF you cock it, you should shoot it quick. Hold the immature jokes, that's my job.
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keith44spl
Member
When carrying a SA........
If'n I'm expectin' trouble, I carry two of em, plus a rifle.
.
If'n I'm expectin' trouble, I carry two of em, plus a rifle.
.
Pisgah
Member
Threads like this are the reason I regularly take weeks-or-months-long breaks from this and other forums. They are tedious and, frankly, dumb.
First of all, I don't think a single post has advocated a single-action revolver as ideal for self defense. They're not, and haven't been since the 1880's, at least. But CAN you be well defended with a single action? Sure you can, and only a moron -- who might very well be killed in a confrontation with a SA-armed opponent -- would say otherwise.
You see, what most folks overlook is that it is the individual, and not the tool, that wins fights. You can have a full-auto AK and still go down to somebody with a Ruger Bearcat if your head is not in the game 100%. If your head IS in the game, you're already one-up on the vast majority of attackers you will encounter. They don't expect you to be armed, for the most part, or they wouldn't have attacked. Whatever you're shooting, you've got them off guard, and if you can shoot whatever you have -- fight over.
Getting your head right has many elements. First and foremost is the WILLINGNESS to act. No matter the gun you have, if you are not willing to use it in a violent encounter you might as well be barehanded. And don't think that description does not fit you unless you have been there, done that. Until you have, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WILL REACT, no matter how you're armed or how you've been trained.
Then, there are tactical considerations -- based on what you're carrying, you will need to gear your response accordingly. You may draw and fire immediately upon the threat becoming apparent -- or you may need to bide your time and wait until the moment you can shove your .22 Short Beretta Minx up his nose and drop him like a hog at slaughter time.
Mindset, not a gun, is your #1 weapon, regardless of the circumstances. With the correct mindset, you find your world full of potential weapons -- even when you've left your gun at home.
First of all, I don't think a single post has advocated a single-action revolver as ideal for self defense. They're not, and haven't been since the 1880's, at least. But CAN you be well defended with a single action? Sure you can, and only a moron -- who might very well be killed in a confrontation with a SA-armed opponent -- would say otherwise.
You see, what most folks overlook is that it is the individual, and not the tool, that wins fights. You can have a full-auto AK and still go down to somebody with a Ruger Bearcat if your head is not in the game 100%. If your head IS in the game, you're already one-up on the vast majority of attackers you will encounter. They don't expect you to be armed, for the most part, or they wouldn't have attacked. Whatever you're shooting, you've got them off guard, and if you can shoot whatever you have -- fight over.
Getting your head right has many elements. First and foremost is the WILLINGNESS to act. No matter the gun you have, if you are not willing to use it in a violent encounter you might as well be barehanded. And don't think that description does not fit you unless you have been there, done that. Until you have, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WILL REACT, no matter how you're armed or how you've been trained.
Then, there are tactical considerations -- based on what you're carrying, you will need to gear your response accordingly. You may draw and fire immediately upon the threat becoming apparent -- or you may need to bide your time and wait until the moment you can shove your .22 Short Beretta Minx up his nose and drop him like a hog at slaughter time.
Mindset, not a gun, is your #1 weapon, regardless of the circumstances. With the correct mindset, you find your world full of potential weapons -- even when you've left your gun at home.
flagman1776
Member
Emergencies happen with little to no warning. One hopes to access the best tools available in that terrible moment. If I were carrying a SA in that moment, I'd hope to be proficient with it.
Col Cooper carried a SA into danger briefly... & decided it was not the best tool to defend his life with. To the best of my recollection, JC was critical of the grip shape which made follow up shots difficult.
I'd not deliberately go into danger with a SA... Hell, I'd not deliberately go into danger with just a handgun if I had the opportunity to be better armed.
Col Cooper carried a SA into danger briefly... & decided it was not the best tool to defend his life with. To the best of my recollection, JC was critical of the grip shape which made follow up shots difficult.
I'd not deliberately go into danger with a SA... Hell, I'd not deliberately go into danger with just a handgun if I had the opportunity to be better armed.
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The OP asked if anyone uses an SA revolver for home or self defense, and the answer seems to be “yes” for some, but not regularly.
The wisdom of doing so can be debated until the cows come home. Choose wisely depending on your skills, threat level and training.
The wisdom of doing so can be debated until the cows come home. Choose wisely depending on your skills, threat level and training.
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